


Vindicabo (Tu)

by InLust, schfiftytwo



Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Action/Adventure, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/F, Handler!Jemma, Mission Fic, Mystery, Unresolved Sexual Tension
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-02-07
Updated: 2015-02-09
Packaged: 2018-03-10 19:46:07
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 9,421
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3301322
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/InLust/pseuds/InLust, https://archiveofourown.org/users/schfiftytwo/pseuds/schfiftytwo
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Redux posting from my work during Skimmons Week - Mission AU. Skye is an arrogant Ops agent whose partner has been missing for months as a result Maria Hill assigns Scientist Jemma Simmons as her partner in order to protect her. But from what? Why are there are string of missing persons that SHIELD has their best operative investigating?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. As much as you hate me

**Author's Note:**

  * For [4guiltypleasure](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=4guiltypleasure).



> So this is a major canon divergence fic because I had written this awhile back and I wanted to keep it true to my original story instead of following what's been going on the series. So in this, Skye isn't actually Daisy Johnson, so there's a lot of lore and backstory I've created to kind of make up for it which accounts for my slow ass updating. Let me know what you think!
> 
> I've got my friend schfiftytwo helping me edit this so if you have any questions or suggestions feel free to shoot a message!

"Maria, are you _sure_ this is the right idea?"

"Of course it is, Phil," Maria turned from her spot near the window to face Agent Coulson. There was a smirk playing at the corner of her lips that Coulson didn't really understand.

"Why _her_ though? Skye is our only field agent that doesn't _need_ a partner," Coulson sighed as he looked at the file in front of him again. "She hasn't responded well since we found out about Ward."

"We are at a critical point," Maria explained vaguely. "With Ward missing and HYDRA on the rise, we need to find the Clairvoyant before he comes after Skye."

"But a **_scientist_**?"

The skepticism in his voice elicited a stern look from the Deputy Director as she crossed her arms.

\---------------------

The vein in her neck throbbed as she booked it downhill. She could feel the blood rushing through her veins as her feet struggled to break through the snow. The thin layer of sweat was her only reminder that she would stay warm as long as she kept moving. The cold couldn't bother her.

She looked over her shoulders at her pursuer. _Scratch that, she meant **pursuers**._ The trees rustled and shook as they jumped from one tree to the next after her.

A slew of curses ran through her mind as she continued to pump her feet through the snow. Her jet was located at the base of the mountain; she just needed to make it there before she was turned into shreds by her chasers.

In a few hundred meters, she had begun seeing the tip of her jet. She threw another glance over her shoulders and saw them steadily gaining on her.

Another swear crossed her mind. An object whizzed by her ear, striking the ground in front of her. As she ran, more blades littered the ground ahead of her.

_Damnit. Almost there._

Her mind began planning her getaway. She calculated the time it would take. She shook her head. The odds were working against her.

 _There was going to be time_ , she thought to herself. Her jet was going to be ready for her by the time she got there. _It had to._ That machine knew her better than anyone else.

Glancing back, Skye saw a glint of steel cross her line of sight too closely. Before she knew it, she felt the blade pierce her skin. She winced as it tore through her shoulder, firmly lodging itself inside her.

Another wave of adrenaline coursed through her veins as she turned to dive for the ground. Feeling the warmth of the blood seeping through her uniform, she steadied herself and slid down the last hundred meters towards her jet.

If they thought they were going to catch her, they were wrong. At the foot of the hill, she leaped forward.

She blinked up at where she had landed and saw the soft red glow of her jet’s jump lights right above her. She smiled when she heard the gentle rumbling of its engines. 

She quickly jumped to her feet and popped open the hatch to the cockpit.

"Thanks Buddy!" she greeted her jet enthusiastically as she flipped a few switches to launch her jet. "The engine is warm." She smiled brightly and petted the dashboard proudly.

"You called for me to be ready for your arrival," an automated male voice responded back.

She furrowed her brows in confusion at her jet before seizing the yoke. She opted to finish her getaway instead of questioning a _machine_. "Time to go home, Buddy."

"Of course," Buddy responded immediately as she tugged at the yoke and the craft had begun to lift off. "Setting coordinates for SHIELD Headquarters." At the sound of jet engine roaring, a smile played at her lips. "I hope the mission was a success, Miss Skye."

"Always, Buddy. _Always_."

\--------------------

Jemma tugged the collar of her dress shirt into place before sliding the file under her arm to fix her cuffs. She rolled her neck as she tried to find comfort in her new outfit.

It wasn't her first time at the Operations but it was her first day as a _field agent_. A few months ago, she had been approached by Maria Hill in front of all of her colleagues to start field training without notice.

_“You are to begin Field Training immediately; all current projects under your supervision have now been halted under SHIELD Directive [ **redacted** ].”_

Jemma tried not to let the change bother her. She had the confidence that she could succeed as a field agent. However, with only 3 months of training under her belt, they claimed that she was ready.

 _Ready for what_? It was always a mystery. Without a higher clearance, she couldn't have any answers.

She looked up at the number indicating which floor she was hitting before looking back into her file.

**Agent Skye [surname redacted].**

She had the other agent's face memorized by now. Months of training both physically and mentally. _Skye_ was her mission: _protect her at all costs_.

**Reason/Rationale for Enhanced Security Measures for Agent Skye: [information redacted].**

She closed the file as the elevator dinged one last time and the doors opened up for her. Walking down the halls, Jemma ignored the stares of the other agents she had walked by. They knew who she was to some degree. She was the science monkey, _the lab geek_. What business did she there?

As she rounded the corner, she could hear voices arguing.

_"I don't need a partner, **Coulson**! What don't you understand about that?"_

_" **Skye** , these are orders from the Deputy Director and Director, you **will** have a partner."_

_"Why? Why are they forcing me to do this? They should know that a partner would just hold me back!"_

_"Those are direct orders from Maria Hill. We have to trust their decision."_

_"A decision to put a...a science monkey with me? How could that possibly be a bright idea? They don't **belong** in the **field** and everyone knows that._

Jemma furrowed her brows at the comment. She held back her tongue at how _judgmental_ and downright _rude_ this other agent was. She tried to find a moment of peace before knocking on the door.

_"For all I know, they would just get in my way or **worse**...get us both killed."_

Something snapped inside of Jemma. Her knuckles rapped at the door harder than she expected. She was ready to let her mouth run at this arrogant---

The door opened quickly to Agent Coulson. His normally calm face was flushed from the argument. Jemma observed as she looked over at Agent Skye, who was standing there, there, arms crossed. Her face was locked in a curt scowl.

_Good. Neither of them wanted to be there. Especially not this “science monkey.”_

"Agent Jemma Simmons, welcome," Coulson greeted as he motioned for her to enter the room. He motioned for her to sit. "We were just discussing the next mission that we have for you two. I understand that you've just recently been transferred to our division but we do need to act quickly."

Jemma merely nodded before reaching her hand out to Skye. "Nice to meet you, Agent Skye, I look forward to working with you," she gritted through her teeth visibly.

"Likewise," Skye mirrored as she grasped Jemma's hand. She held her nose up high as she motioned for Jemma to sit.

As Coulson debriefed the two agents, Jemma could feel Skye's eyes on her. They were assessing her and Jemma hated it. She had nothing to **prove** to Skye. She was there on a mission to protect her; that much was certain. Jemma just didn't expect to hate it so much.


	2. It's a test isn't it?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Skye really doesn't like her new partner and how awful of a liar she is. How much can she trust this science monkey before they get caught up in something bad?

"Can you explain to me _how_ we got caught in this situation?" Jemma muttered as she struggled against the restraints that bound her wrists behind her back. She jerked and felt her knees collide against her partner's.

"Can you **stop** moving?" Skye threw back as she tried her best to remain still. She focused on the restraints that kept them both bound.

The former scientist huffed. Their bodies were pressed flushed against one another, chest to chest. Faces mere inches from one another.

In any other situation, Jemma might have found it intense.

But with _Skye_? There was nothing that she wanted less than a situation with her partner that forced them to be this close to one another. Jemma cursed to herself as Skye remained silent. In the darkness of the trunk, Jemma was sure that Skye was focusing on a way to get them out of this mess.

Even if _Skye_ had been the one to get them into this mess in the first place.

"This is _your_ fault," she muttered.

"Don't even start with me, _Biochem_ ," Skye retorted with a harsh grain in her voice.

The sudden word-venom silenced Jemma for a moment before she let out another sigh. She had no reason to be hurt by Skye's tone. It wasn't like she wanted anything to do with this either.

" _Don't_ call me, _Biochem_."

Skye remained silent. Jemma didn't question it. She relished in the silence, in getting the last word.

As they laid there in silence, Jemma focused on the bobbing movement of the car they were trapped in. They had been moving for what felt like hours. The air was getting stuffy between the two of them. The gentle bumps were becoming more frequent as they rode.

She could feel Skye's warm, even breaths caress her face. The minute she realized that it calmed her down, Jemma felt her stomach turn.

It didn't matter which one of them had gotten them into this situation. Jemma knew that she should've been more careful. She _had_ **read** the file on Skye.

Skye was capricious. Her skills constantly tested her flexibility and adaptability in every situation. Skye was built to be a field agent. Every single thing about her just worked in favor of her in the field.

Even right now, Jemma knew that the only reason that Skye fell silent was for their benefit. She was focusing on the ride, the vibrations, her mind counting the minutes and miles intuitively.

It made her grind her teeth. Skye was a _great_ field agent. How could they possibly think that **_Jemma_** would be the best person to **_protect_** Skye from danger? The woman could very well fend for herself.

There was a sharp turn and Jemma felt herself pushed against the wall of the small space. She felt Skye's body pressed flushed against hers. The fleeting feeling of the other woman’s lips over hers suddenly pushed her heart rate up. Jemma could feel her heart pounding and feared that Skye could feel it too.

She tried not to comment. Luckily, the sound of gravel crunching beneath the tires were clear through the trunk. They had gone off path. She kept her focus on the sounds.

Skye hadn't moved, but her breathing was evident that she was still conscious.

"Skye…," Jemma bravely whispered.

" _Shh_ ," the other agent hushed. A moment of silence came. Jemma slowed her breathing.

"I am focusing."

"Okay…," the scientist responded nervously. She could feel her cheeks flush. She had never been more thankful that they were in a dark trunk.

"We are stopping soon."

Jemma refocused her attention on their ride. _Skye was right._

**36 Hours Earlier**

The sunlight from the day had felt strange as it warmed her through her window. It was different from her last trip to the Alps; here, there was no snow to reflect the light that burned her retinas, and no cloudy mists of ambiguity.

Skye rolled her neck around, feeling her bones crack. She felt a pair of eyes on her immediately.

She glanced at the woman sitting next to her.

To say she had run into some _interesting_ people as of recently would've been a lie. For Skye, only one person could be anything even remotely close to interesting.

_Dr. Jemma Simmons._

When she had looked into the eyes of her unwarranted partner, Skye felt something stir inside of her. _Betrayal. Distrust. **Rejection**_. She already had a partner.

_Agent Grant Ward._

She tightened her grip on the steering wheel.

"The less that we speak to one another is not going to make a difference into our partnership."

There was a twitch in her neck. Luckily, underneath her sunglasses, the scientist wouldn't have seen her wince.

Dr. Jemma Simmons. Skye knew that the woman was no monkey. _She was smart. By the book. Constantly asking questions._

It was the kind of smart that grated on Skye’s nerves; there was only **one** other person that was ever like that and it was _herself_.

The only difference that Skye found _refreshing_ was the fact that Jemma Simmons was not afraid to give her a piece of her mind. When they shook hands, she could feel a slight burn between them by the brief tightening of Jemma's grip around her hand.

_She didn't want to be there either._

"I've read your file."

Skye’s knuckles turned white around the steering wheel.

Jemma continued as she closed the file that Coulson had given them earlier.

"Look. I know you're not happy with me being here, but we have to come to an understanding. I am not here to replace your partner--"

Skye sighed. "We are going to talk to the aunt right now, Mindy Peterson," she interjected. Luckily for her Jemma dropped the subject and opened up the file once more.

She continued to deflect. "Like Coulson said, this kid, Ace, was _gifted_."

Jemma nodded in agreement. "As were the other people. 2 males, 3 females, and 2 other children. And each of them went missing in the last year."

"That’s the only connection that we have between all of these people. What we need to find out is whether these people are just missing or if someone is taking them."

Jemma paused. "…You think they're being _taken_?"

Skye swallowed thickly.

"People don't _just_ go missing like that."

* * *

 

When Jemma got out of the car, she let Skye to take the lead. There was something off about her partner, something she was hiding, something that upset her. Bringing up her former partner, Grant Ward, struck one of Skye’s nerves.

She wanted to remain in the back seat for as long as possible. Deputy Director Hill explicitly told her to protect-- _Not to provoke._

For Jemma, she was raised on the logic of science. Skye was her subject now, and yet every explanation Jemma could muster around _her mission_ fell flat.

_Why was she so special?_

"Follow _my_ lead," Skye said curtly as she took off her sunglasses.

Both of them get up to the steps of the small house in the middle of the cul de sac. It was quaint enough. Quiet too. Jemma couldn't help but glance around the neighborhood. Even the safest neighborhood had its hidden dangers.

Skye knocked on the door.

The door opened and an African American woman opened the door with a tired look on her face. Her clothes were unkempt. Jemma's eyes narrowed at some stain at corner.

"Good afternoon, are you Mindy Peterson? I’m Detective Brody and this is my partner Simmons. We are with the police department and we just had a few more follow up questions concerning your nephew. Could we come in?"

Jemma held her tongue at the introduction. _She was **British** , did Skye somehow forget that?_

The woman nodded and offered them to come in with a small voice.

Skye and Jemma sat in two different armchairs while the aunt sat across from them. There were two glasses of water for them.

"You said that your nephew- _Ace, was it?_ -was very self-sufficient."

Mindy nodded sadly. "I have to work late on some evenings, which makes it difficult for me to pick him up at school. He takes the bus home, cooks dinner for himself, and _god forbid_ , if I am extremely late, he’ll leave me something too." She laughed lightly at the memory.

Jemma stared at Skye. Most of that information was already pulled from the police department.

"Would there be any one that would want to hurt him, or take him away from you?" Skye asked carefully. The furrow in her brows showed Jemma genuine concern.

The aunt shook her head. "When we found out that Ace was extremely gifted, we enrolled him into a prep school that promised to teach him and challenge him. Ace was getting bored with public school, and it seemed like an excellent idea..."

Jemma smiled sympathetically, sharing an understanding the circumstances.

"You said _we_?" Skye pointed out astutely.

Mindy nodded her head. "My husband and I have basically raised Ace since he was a little boy. We thought it would be best for him to make that change."

That was interesting. "And what of his father?" Jemma couldn't help but ask, earning a sharp look from Skye.

Mindy looked between the two women in confusion. "I-I'm sorry I thought you said you were with the _police department_? Who are you?" The question was directed at Jemma.

_Bloody hell._

"Oh, I..Erm...umm…-" she stuttered for a few moments before she decided on, "I am a _consultant_?"

She was a horrible liar. To her credit, Jemma worked really hard on that during her training. _Fat lot of good that did._ She could recite the theory behind lying under duress, but in practice it was just impossible for her.

Skye's jaw tightened as she motioned for Jemma to stop talking. " _Dr_. Jemma Simmons consults with the police on important cases such as these. We are utilizing any and all resources we have to help find your nephew," Skye clarified to ease the woman.

Jemma tensed at the quick whip of Skye's voice. _Surely, they were going to argue about that later._

The two agents gave Mindy their best apologetic look. After a beat, she acquiesced, and Mindy promptly apologized for the confusion.

"So, Mindy, the father? Any ideas if he would have wanted to take Ace back?" Skye continued carefully.

Mindy shook her head. She looked down at her clasped hands. There was an air of disappointment as she spoke, "Mike hasn't been back in a year. He dropped Ace off asking for us to take care of him for the weekend while he had to work. That _weekend_ turned into a _week_. That _week_ turned into _weeks_. After a month, my husband and I decided that we would take care of Ace indefinitely."

"Did you ever report Mike as missing?" Jemma asked. This time Skye didn't shoot her a look and waited intently for Mindy to answer.

Mindy furrowed her brows. She let out a disbelief laugh before answering, "My brother wasn't the most _reliable_ father figure for Ace. The jobs he worked were odd and short. He jumped from one to another within a few months. When he showed up at our doorstep that weekend, he was excited for this job. More excited than I had ever seen him."

"Did he tell you what the job was?" Skye was intrigued.

"No, I thought that since it was just for a weekend, it was something short."

Jemma stared carefully at the woman, wondering if she was lying.

"When it turned into a week, I figured he had just wanted to pass Ace onto me."

"That didn't strike you as _strange_?" Jemma shot. The aunt looked stunned at her. "Your brother doesn't show up for a week and you don't report him missing."

"Mike was a loving father and great brother. But to say that he had his life together is far from the truth. As happy as he was the day he came to drop off Ace..., I felt like he was saying goodbye."

"So he just _left_ Ace with you?"

"He picked up after _our father_ ," Mindy threw back bitterly.

Jemma opened her mouth to ask another question when she felt Skye's hand on her wrist.

"I think we’ve got everything we need for now. Thank you for your time. If you think of anything else, please give me a call," Skye said quickly as she pulled out a card from her pocket. She stood up and Jemma followed.

On their way out of Mindy’s home, Jemma couldn't help but feel unsettled by the turn of events. To be honest, she had more _questions_ leaving the house than she had _answers_.

" _Why_ did you do that?" Jemma asked sharply. "We should've asked _more_ about her brother."

"No, we _shouldn’t_ have." Skye answered as she unlocked the car doors.

"Why not?"

"Because we don't need to give her another thing to worry about. The police would not be looking for a deadbeat father that would want to take his child away, when the aunt barely even registers him as a brother anymore."

"It's still important--"

" _Dr. Simmons_ ," Skye snapped and Jemma shut her mouth at the sudden address as they stood on either side of the car. Skye leaned against the car before bowing her head and letting out a curt laugh. "You are an _awful_ liar. Did anyone tell you that?"

Jemma felt her throat tighten. She already knew that. "I _hardly_ see--"

"You know what you could've done in there? You could've given that poor lady _another_ thing to worry about. Her brother is a deadbeat, let her think that. If he is _actually_ missing, how guilty do you think she would feel? To lose _two_ people from her family? **_Our job_** is to protect the lives of people like hers, not make it more complicated. You learn to pick your battles," the field agent declared without room for Jemma to speak any further. "It's not like our databases won't be able to find out more information concerning Mike Peterson."

Skye slipped into the car.

Jemma’s hands molded themselves into fists as Skye spoke. Her insides quaked at the words Skye used to chastise her. She wanted to yell in return so badly.

_No._

Jemma was _smarter_ than that. Hill warned her of Skye's difficulties. She was a field agent wounded by the fact that her partner had gone _missing_. The case may have hit a little too close to home.

_But that did not excuse her petulance or arrogance._

There was a burn in the pit of her stomach as Jemma tried to hold in her fury. She looked across the cul de sac and saw something catch her eyes. A man wearing at a gardening hat had clippers out, trimming the hedges. Jemma was sure, but she thought he had been staring at them.

It made her skin crawl.

He waved. _A friendly neighbor?_

Jemma decided not to linger as she slipped into the passenger seat.

* * *

Jemma had made it through her first day with Skye unscathed. Besides that one outburst, Skye had, the rest of the day had gone relatively better. Not that any of the interviews with the missing person's families had gone any better.

_"Jemma, just let me come up with the cover story and you go with it," Skye had told her by the third family._

" _Just because you're more adept at field work than I am, does not mean you need to speak down to me."_

_Skye would groan in frustration and throw back, "You're a terrible liar."_

_"I know!"_

When they made it back to the office by the end of the day, Coulson had been surprised that they hadn't killed each other. But the bickering between the two agents had definitely caught everyone's attention. Coulson quickly shut it down and ordered them to go home for the day.

The next morning when Jemma walked into the office with her tea, she barely made it to her desk when Skye yelled at her to head down to the range with her gun.

"You're a field agent, Dr. Simmons. _Please_ tell me you maintain your physical training schedule," Skye muttered as she clicked the button in the elevator.

Jemma gently touched the gun holstered at her hip before standing straight. She glanced at Skye sharply. "Of course."

Giving up anymore than that would surely result in another stream of bickering. _Then again..._

"Speaking of physical training," Jemma began as she sipped her tea. Skye wasn't pleased about her bringing that down to the range. "I looked at your file."

There was a low groan from Skye that made Jemma smile.

"You have an _assessment_ coming up soon."

" _Why_ exactly do you have my file?" Skye snapped quietly as she kept her eyes locked on the changing floor numbers.

"It's not like you can't have a look at mine…," Jemma teased with a shrug. She didn't have anything to hide. **Skye** , on the other hand, was full of _mysteries_.

"I don't want to have to trek all the way to SciOps for yours," the field agent muttered.

"Hmm."

" _What_?"

"What?"

"You were doing _that_ —ugh, _nevermind_."

Skye was saved by the ding of the elevator. The door opened into the range with the musky smell of gunpowder and metal in the air.

Jemma winced at the scent. She never got used to that. The time she spent with gunpowder and metals were usually in the lab, not in a gun range.

Skye grabbed a box of ammo and two pairs of ear muffs and walked into an empty station.

"Why _exactly_ are we here?" Jemma asked. She couldn't help but feel suffocated. _It was just the two of them_. There was an irrational fear that Skye could kill her without anyone noticing.

"I want to see how you shoot," Skye answered as she slapped the ammo down before them with the earmuffs. Without asking, she reached for Jemma.

Jemma immediately stepped back with consternation. Skye didn't say anything as she grasped at her wrist to stop her from moving any further. She heard the click of her holster and the weight lifting from her waist.

"I know how to shoot," Jemma argued. There wasn't much of a response as Skye inspected her gun, taking the magazine out and shoving it back in, she cocked it and aimed it down the lane before pulling it apart and laying it down.

" _Hey_!"

"Put it back together," Skye ordered as she leaned back.

A **test**. Another _meaningless_ **test**. Jemma had to wonder when these would end. Then again, the real test was for her _patience_. She could take the jabs at her profession and inexperience but to insult her intelligence was something Jemma could never tolerate.

Just as she knew what buttons to press for Skye, she hated feeling as if Skye knew hers. The field agent leaned back against the divider between the lanes, crossed her arms and smirked.

_If only she could wipe that smirk off._

Jemma rolled her eyes and grabbed the gun. With a few quick clicks and cocking the barrel back, Jemma pointed down the lane. Not stopping there, she raised her finger to show Skye the safety. Skye raised an eyebrow at her and Jemma smiled. Never breaking eye contact, she pulled the gun apart and set it down.

"Put it back together," Jemma ordered as she leaned against the counter.

The smug look on Skye's face didn't seem to change but there was smile on her face that made Jemma's heart race.

Skye stepped in front of Jemma and pulled the gun together. "I want you to try using my gun. Then, I want you to try out some back-ups. I don't want to take you into the field again until I see you shoot."

"I can assure you that I received training from Deputy Director Hill herself; I think I know how to shoot a gun."

Skye clicked a few buttons and sent three targets down the lanes. She stepped out of the booth with her earmuffs and proffered Jemma to take her place.

Jemma felt that uncomfortable familiar shiver down her spine as they switched places. She stood in front of Skye and slipped on her ear muffs. She grasped her gun and lifted it to see through the iron sights.

There was really no reason for her to carry a gun. There was no _purpose_ for her to carry a gun. She'd honestly prefer her and Fitz's creation; it rendered the attacker unconscious, _not dead_.

She could feel a tremor in her hands. Hill had always told her to remain focused, that if she knew _where_ she wanted to shoot, she _wouldn't_ _have to kill_ anyone. Jemma clenched her teeth and gripped the gun tightly. She could feel Skye's eyes bore into the back of her head.

With a breath, she held the gun with confidence. Part of her wondering how she ever got thrown into this twisted fate. _Shooting a gun_ , when her hands were meant to handle test tubes and pipettes. _Babysitting an agent_ , who could do well enough on her own.

The rounds went off. _Two to the left, two to the right, and two down the middle._

Jemma exhaled a breath she didn't know that she was holding. She brought gun down before her and peeled off her ear muffs.

Skye looked confused as she took Jemma's place to bring the targets forward. "What _kind of shots_ are _these_?"

Each of the targets had varying shots. **None** of them hit the center of the _chest_ or in the _head_.

Jemma smiled looking proudly at her work while Skye stood there confounded. "You told me to show you if I knew how to shoot a gun." She gestured at the targets. "I think I passed."

Without a doubt.

" _In what universe_?" Her voice was furious.

"There is more to hitting your enemy than aiming for their chest and head, _Agent Skye_."

"If there is a _hostile_ **_threat_** shooting at us, you need to be prepared to take them down _at all costs_. I need to know that you can defend yourself. I want to make sure you have my six, _Jemma_."

There was pause. A curtain of silence fell before them.

It's not like Jemma had never heard her named being called, but it was the first time that Skye had _said_ it. _No sarcasm. No disdain._ She tried not to impress upon the thought any longer, when Skye turned back and looked at the targets.

The seasoned agent stiffened visibly as she reached for her gun and placed it down.

" **Here** , try mine." Her voice was clipped as if she had tried to cut out her emotions.

It confused Jemma to no end. Skye could make her heart stutter, race, and ache all at once.

When she picked up Skye's gun, she couldn't help but notice the weight difference. It was only a few ounces heavier but it curved to fit her palm perfectly.

" _Where_ do you want me to aim?" Jemma asked. It was a lame attempt to shake the tension between them.

Skye pressed the buttons sending the targets down the lane once more. "Chest and head."

Just as the scientist placed her finger on the trigger, Skye's hand fell on top of hers.

"You're going to need to prepare yourself for the recoil." Her hand encouraged her to relax her grip while the other came up to her shoulder blades with a soothing rub. "My gun isn't like yours."

It felt strange receiving instruction before shooting. Jemma half expected Skye to let her feel the recoil if she messed up just to laugh at her.

There were butterflies emerging from their cocoons in Jemma's stomach as she eased into Skye's touches. She grit her teeth to quell the fluttering storm in her stomach.

"I've got it." _Her_ voice was clipped now. With a relaxing breath, she shot the rounds. The weight of the recoil felt strange against her body but Skye's instruction had helped her tremendously.

Two shots to the left. Two shots to the right. Two shots down the middle.

Of course in an act of rebellion, Jemma had a smile on her face as put the gun down. Skye brought the targets back.

This time she stared with wide eyes at the targets. Two shots a piece dead center in the face. She was impressed; it was hard to hide that.

"Okay."

Jemma raised an eyebrow at the woman. She wasn't going to be lectured again. "Skye, you are a talented shooter and intelligent field agent. I understand your need to test me. However, I have to say that your _head on, devil may care_ approach isn't always going to work."

"What gives you the right to talk like that about my skills as a field agent?"

_That riled her up quickly._

"As impressive as your track record is for your missions, you have an equally impressive _medical_ record."

"What does my medical record have _to do with this_?"

"It shows me that as much as you are fit to be a field agent, you still come back with injuries that could otherwise be avoided. Like for instance that knife wound in your shoulder."

Skye shifted uncomfortably. She honestly couldn't think that Jemma _wouldn't_ notice a slight wince every time she moved too quickly or bumped it.

"I heal _fine_."

"I _believe_ that, but I _also_ believe that wound was avoidable had you not provoked any of the mountain dwellers on your way from the site. You take risks, which is admirable. But you also face an incredible amount of unnecessary danger."

The field agent's jaw tightened visibly.

"This job requires me to risk my life every day. It is a risk worth taking because there is no one more capable of taking care of me _than me_. You don't get to tell me how to do my job because that isn't why you're here.”

She paused, the anger in her voice reaching a controlled climax. “ _As far as we are both concerned_ , we don't know why you're here and frankly, I don’t give a damn. You are **_not_** my _partner_ , _Agent Simmons_. You are here for me to _babysit_."

Jemma stared at how intense Skye's eyes had become. Her eyes were darkened with emotion as she stared directly at Jemma. It was strange seeing her so closely because for a fleeting moment, underneath the dark chocolate eyes, Jemma swore she recognized the look of fear, hurt, and _sadness_. _It shook her to the core._

" _Skye_. You…you need to see that there are people around you, and despite your arrogance, they _care_ about you. There is more to these missions than taking down your enemies. You have to see to it that you don't turn yourself into one of them."

Just as Skye was going to return their verbal ping pong, a ringing filled the room.

The scientist pulled her phone out from her back pocket quickly to see Hill's name flash across the screen.

"If you'll excuse me, I think this session is _over_." She quickly holstered her gun and left Skye on her own. "Deputy Director Hill, this is Agent Simmons."

Skye listened to Jemma's receding voice as she made her way back to the elevator. She didn't realize she had been holding her breath until she placed her hands down on the counter for support. Her heart raced like she had been running miles and her body shook visibly. Jemma's words had _stung_. Every part of her body seized as she tried to maintain control over her emotions.

_She could take care of herself._ The only person that should matter was herself. She wasn't going to _lose_ anyone else on her account again.

Picking up her head, the targets still hung before her. They depicted a story that Skye had forgotten she could interpret in ages. What she saw as she stared again was Jemma's handiwork.

_Masterful handiwork, at that._

She didn't miss. _She aimed._ Not to kill but to incapacitate in the most strategic ways. On the left target, Jemma grazed to cause disorientation. On the right target, Jemma shot the shoulders to render both arms useless. On the middle target, Skye took a minute before realizing Jemma had pulled off both a disarming hit and a knick to the carotid artery to incapacitate the target.

_Jemma knew what she was doing._ She wasn’t _just_ a good agent. _She was a good person._


	3. You got my six

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Skye and Jemma find common ground through investigating a new person of interest.

When it was clear that Jemma had attended to business with Deputy Director Hill, Skye decided to keep working the case. There had to be  _something_  they were missing.

Several people had gone missing. No evidence of kidnapping because they were never ransoms. No evidence of a struggle. These people were simply  _vanishing_.

Skye knew  _better_. She tried to shake that simple explanation from her thoughts and kept her focus on what was missing. These missing people were all gifted individuals, but there had to be another factor tying them all together. They varied from one individual to the next. There was no discrimination between the families that had lost an intelligent member of their family.

The field agent rolled her neck and felt it cracking under all the pressure from sitting at her desk for too long. She glanced at the wall of pictures and maps.  _Not even location was a factor._

Just as she was about to get up for another cup of coffee, she heard a low set of footsteps fall behind her. The scent of freshly brewed coffee mixed with a subdued scent of earl grey. She turned her head and saw Jemma walking towards her desk with the two cups in hand.

"It's tea time, I figured you'd need a pick me up," the English woman said almost shyly as she placed the cup down carefully. It was an olive branch.

Skye simply nodded as she took the cup. She took a sip and was surprised that it was exactly how she drank it.

"It's in your file," Jemma answered.

"Of  _course_  it is," Skye muttered in response. She drank the coffee, while keeping her eyes on Jemma, wondering what she was going to do next.

The doctor then gingerly sat down on an empty space on Skye's desk like it was a habit. She brought her own cup up to her nose to inhale the rich scent. With a satisfying sip, a hand danced across the files.

The way that Jemma's hand danced around Skye's desk intrigued her. As interested in the work Jemma was, she didn't disturb it, leaving Skye's method undisturbed.

"What's the likelihood that we will find them?" Jemma asked quietly. She brought Ace Peterson's file to the top to read.

For a moment, Skye couldn't tell if her partner was asking rhetorically or not. In the last year, these people that have gone missing had never returned.  _No body. No trace._ Nothing.

_Very much like Ward._

She hadn't realized Jemma stopped to stare at her. All Skye could do was swallow her drink.

"We are going to find them somehow."

 _She was sure of it_. It must have been the way she said it as she watched Jemma's expression soften. Her brown eyes melting as they kept their contact. 

"Where were you all day?" she asked brusquely to avoid the stare.

Jemma shrugged and took a sip of her tea. "Just some meetings and briefings with Hill. My transition into Operations wasn't entirely complete," she answered vaguely, averting Skye's gaze this time.

If she was lying, Skye held her tongue. They were on the same team, she told herself. Deputy Director Hill had called her directly, so that meant there was some truth to that.

Jemma had switched gears suddenly when she asked, "Did you get the file on Mike Peterson?"

Skye furrowed her brows before realizing that she meant Ace's father. She nodded, sliding aside Ace's file to pull up his father's to show the other agent. They glanced at the top sheet together and Skye updated her.

"There wasn't anything significant on him. Last known address was around the same time that Ace had been dropped off at his aunt's for the weekend, I called the owner and he said Mike couldn't afford it anymore. They had to move out the next day. I called the temp agency he last worked for and said that he hasn't returned any of their calls in the last year."

"So Mike Peterson just dropped off the map? Doesn't that seem a bit  _odd_?"

Skye nodded in slight agreement. "Some people just don't  _want_  to be found. This man didn't have a job, couldn't afford rent…maybe he just thought his kid would have a better chance with his sister," Skye reasoned. She looked at the man's photo and wondered what sort of father he was to just leave his child like that.

There was a low hum from Jemma.

"What?"

"It's just strange that a father would just abandon his son without any warning whatsoever. It's clear that he was struggling for a  _long_  time, I am sure that would warrant a conversation to discuss his son's wellbeing," Jemma reasoned carefully as she flipped through the pages.

Skye was inclined to agree but it wasn't like the man had much to contribute to the kidnapping. If he wanted to take his child back, there would've been an attempt, an argument with his sister. The cops would've thought to look for him first but he wasn't a person of interest.

As Jemma flipped through the pages, something caught Skye's eyes.

"Hold on a second," Skye reached out to stop the woman from flipping the pages.  _Does she speed read or something?_

Jemma stopped in confusion and let Skye have at the file. She watched as the field agent pull out a piece of paper.

_A bank statement._

" _A bank statement_?" Jemma inquired.

"The owner of Mike's apartment building said that he couldn't afford the place anymore but his bank statement clearly had income…," Skye noted as she pointed at the numbers. "Not much, but enough to keep the apartment for the month and then some."

She thought deeply to herself for a moment, trying to figure out what was suspicious about this. It irked her knowing that Mike wasn't in a position to completely lose Ace,  _so why just leave?_

_Did he just leave?_

_Why would a man like him disappear? How would he even disappear without a trace? He wouldn't leave his money behind if he was just abandoning Ace. He would've needed it to travel, there would've been charges._

"What're you thinking of?" Jemma's voice broke her concentration.

Skye tripped over her thoughts at the sudden question and looked at the English agent sharply. She didn't answer the question, feeling as though a light bicker might not have been the best time.

"We need to find Mike Peterson." She quickly stood up to slip her jacket on.

"Do you think he's a person of interest now?" Jemma asked standing up as well.

"He's not but  _what if_  he's  _missing_  as well?"

* * *

"Do you think that Mike Peterson is missing  _under the same circumstances_  as these other cases?" Jemma asked.

Skye tried pulling her thoughts together as her focus was secondary to the road.

_Mike Peterson. Disappeared a year ago. No missing persons report. No traces of foul play. A weekend of baby sitting. A weekend would mean a small job. A week would mean a trip for a job. A month would mean “I am not going to make it back.”_

Jemma turned her head to stare at the field agent focused on the road before her.

_Mike Peterson asked for a weekend. Just a weekend for Mindy to watch Ace. Why would he do that and then never come back?_

"Skye…?"

_No records of movement. No records of any aliases. Poof. Thin air. Mike isn't Houdini, so where the hell is he?_

" _Skye_!" Jemma practically yelled as her fingers came up to Skye's face to snap her out of her thoughts.

Skye blinked in confusion for a few moments before her focus became clearer to the road. She signaled for a turn down the next road before taking a breath she didn't realize she was holding.

"Are you alright?" Jemma asked with concern.

It had been a few months since Ward had disappeared. A lot of the cases she took on were mainly on done on her own with the exception of the machines she worked with. There were times when she would just get lost in her thoughts, trying to process every little detail, trying not to miss anything important.

Skye had been listening to the sound of her own voice for months. As much as Jemma's presence grated at her senses, it was strange having someone there to  _talk to_. She looked over at the good doctor briefly. The look of concern on her face almost made Skye feel bad.

"I'm fine. Just…thinking."

There was small sound from Jemma that acknowledged and respected her response. "Could you  _at least_  tell me where we are going?"

"Homeless network."

Jemma raised an eyebrow at her to explain herself.

"Your comment about why Mike didn't reach out to his sister about taking care of Ace more permanently got me thinking about  _where he could possibly be_. He could have emptied his bank account, taken the money, and disappeared without a trace. So where is he?"

"And how exactly is this relevant to the  _homeless network_?"

"You'd be surprised by the intel you can gather from homeless vagabonds. They wander the streets constantly; keep an eye out for any newcomers in the neighborhood."

"Interesting."

Skye glanced at Jemma and smirked. There was a lot that Jemma had to learn about the field but she sure knew how to pick her battles.

* * *

After a few hours of talking to some of the homeless members in the dilapidated part of town, Skye was just about to throw her towel into the ring.

"Oh, I know him," a scraggily young man said as he stared at the picture of Mike Peterson.

Jemma looked around the abandoned buildings and broken warehouses as the sun began to dip into the horizon. The reflection of the light caught her eye briefly forcing her to look away. Cursing herself for not bringing her sunglasses like Skye had done, she looked off into a different direction when something else caught her attention. There was a tint of black at the corner of the block; the hood of a polished black sedan was peaking out from around the building. Jemma stared a few seconds longer, knowing that it wasn't one of their cars. Even if it were, they would've been notified.

She turned her attention back to Skye and the scraggily man.

"Haven't seen him in awhile though, but to be honest, a lot of people get out of this place," he went on, his eyes deeply focused on Skye's as he spoke.

It sent tingles down Jemma's spine but Skye remained assertive in her questioning. Jemma turned her head once more and realized that they had garnered some attention. There were a few other homeless people that had whispered to one another, staring at them. A few looked scared and when they were caught in Jemma's line of sight, they quickly mumbled to the person next to them and casually began to scatter.

"Don't know where some of them have gone. I think there was another guy,  _Stephen_ , he's been around for awhile but around the time when Mike showed up, they both suddenly stopped coming around. I figured they got their shit together and got out of here. I don't know, we don't keep track with each other too often, that's all I really know."

"Does Stephen have a last name?"

Jemma took the opportunity as scraggily man thought about the name and stood next Skye to leaned into her ear. "We're being followed," she whispered, her voice calm and even. Her eyes darted to the pavement to see if there was a shadow of anyone approaching. " _We need to go_."

Skye nodded, just as calmly and evenly.

"Morris!" the scraggily man exclaimed before his eyes fell behind them. There was a sudden shift in his expression. It wasn't fear but whatever it was he quickly stumbled back and fell onto his back.

"Are you alright?" Skye asked quickly, feeling Jemma leave her side and standing to face her back. She narrowed her eyes at his shoes as his legs fell into the air before he turned himself over and rushed off.

"No sign of anyone," Jemma said in confusion as she looked around the block once more. This time she kept her eyes trained on the windows of the buildings nearby.

Skye stared up and down the block. She saw the black sedan sitting around the corner. "Come on, let's get back to headquarters."

The two of them made it back to the car quickly. Luckily it had just been parked across the street from where they were talking to the scraggily man. As soon as Skye unlocked the car, the both of them jumped in. Skye's eyes stared into the rearview mirror.

"Oh fu--"

The sound of crackling electricity filled the car and the last thing she heard as she fell unconscious was Jemma yelling her name.

* * *

_"We are stopping soon."_

_Jemma refocused her attention on their ride. Skye was right._

The crunching sound of the dirt and rocks ceased as the car rolled to a stop with a dull jerk. The sound of the engine cutting followed soon after.

Skye closed her eyes and tried to focus on the sounds in the car. There was a low shuffle and muffled conversation that began to heat up. When one of the car doors clicked open, Skye tugged at the zip ties around her wrist. The unpleasant feeling of the plastic cutting into her skin reminded her it was just another obstacle.

The dull sound of the ground crunching filled the air. In a few moments, trunk popped open and the two agents could feel the cool air against their faces.

Skye winced at the blinding light from the sunset with the figure of man's shadows easing her vision. The spottiness in her vision slowly readjusted to a clear picture of their captors.

He was a slimy man with hair greased back. His face was pallid under the light, as if he had been starved for ages. There was a toothless smile that graces his lips that curled under his beak of a nose.

Skye contemplated reaching out and punching him in that moment but he seized her by the collar with a surprising amount of strength. The next thing she felt was the dirt scraping against her cheek and dust flying into her mouth.

In the back of her mind, she could hear a small yelp from Jemma before she had found a space on the ground next to her.

A hand tangled itself in her hair and tugged her painfully onto her knees.

Skye gritted her teeth, knowing to have patience. They were taken for doing their job. They were getting close and Skye wanted to uncover more information.

The agent found herself face to face with her captor once more.

His face was close to hers as he tilted his head as if to inspect her. The smile never came off his face.

"What do you want from us?" Skye asked. She twisted her wrists behind her back. The zip ties cut into her flesh.

The man was smarter than Skye had expected. He didn't utter a word when he reached into his blazer and pulled out his gun.

There was a faint scent of bleach mixed with leather as the barrel pressed under her chin.  _He was a cleaner._

"Who sent you?" Skye clenched her fists. "Is this because of Mike Peterson?"

Jemma picked herself up onto her knees, catching the man's attention briefly.

Skye snapped into action quickly. Her forehead collided against her captor's face with a crack. His head jerked back as he stumbled back in pain but still not a word from him. She stood up quickly and cracked the zip ties to free herself as the man regained his balance, bloody nose and all. He raised his gun at Skye and she quickly slapped his wrist sending the gun flying out of his grasp.

Jemma jumped onto her feet and moved out of the way as Skye engaged the man in hand to hand. She watched as Skye ducked the blows and threw them right back into the scraggily body without remorse.

The passenger side door opened and another man stepped out. Much more  _clean_  and well-dressed than the man Skye was fighting.

_Fat load of good, I am._

Jemma cursed herself as she twisted her wrists against the zip ties.

The man from the passenger side pulled out a gun quickly and pulled back the hammer.

"Oy, mate!" she yelled as a distraction before ducking. She narrowly missed the bullets. She needed to find her gun.

Skye heard the shots ring out and ducked instinctively. "Run!"

The man tossed her over his shoulders and she landed on her back with a grunt. Skye growled in annoyance at the man as she threw herself up and slam her palm into his face.

"Skye!  _Watch your back_!" Jemma yelled.

Skye grabbed for the scraggily man's neck into a chokehold before turning around quickly. Two rapid shots were fired and Skye could feel the man jerk to the hits. Out from over her human shield’s limp shoulder, Skye eyed his partner, still standing there at the passenger side door. Gun raised, he aimed for her once more.

The adrenaline surged through her veins as she pushed the dead man's body away and dove for the gun. More shots were fired, narrowly missing her as her hand seized the gun.

She rolled onto her knees and shot the suited man with precision. With three bullets, he slumped onto the ground with the gun clattering on the ground.

"Are you alright?" Skye asked calmly as she stood up. She patted the dead scraggily man down and pulled a switch blade from his blazer and walked over to Jemma to lift her back into her feet.

"Yes, are you hurt?" Jemma asked noticing the blood streaming from Skye's wrists.

Skye looked at it as if she hadn't realized it and shrugged. "Just the zip ties. I'm fine." She turned Jemma around to cut her free. "Thanks for watching my back."

"I mean, if you got killed, I'd probably be the  _worst partner ever_." Jemma rubbed her sore wrists and looked at the two men. "So much for getting any answers."

Skye smirked at her as a low groan caught Jemma's attention. "I wouldn't be so sure."

Jemma looked at Skye in confusion before sating her curiosity by rounding the car. The man lying on the passenger side rolled onto his side, a bullet into his knee cap, shoulder, and in the hip.

"He's out of commission until we get to headquarters." Skye was proud of herself as she stared at the man struggling to sit up.

Jemma heard a low grumble and saw a car a hundred feet away. Before she knew it, she reached around Skye and pulled her back behind the popped trunk and onto the ground as a rain of bullets shot towards the car.

After the magazines were emptied, the sound of the tires grinding against the dirt followed quickly. The roar of the car receded and in a few minutes, it was silent again.

As soon as Jemma felt they were safe, she picked up her head and looked around. "Are you alright?"

Skye didn't answer for a moment. Her eyes merely stared into Jemma's as she tried to process what had just happened.

"You got some pretty fast reflexes, Biochem," she said with a smirk. Her hands fell on Jemma's waist unconsciously as she moved to sit up.

Realizing the intimate position that they were in once again, Jemma got up and turned to check the status of their wounded man. There was a disappointed look on her face as she helped Skye up.

Skye rubbed the back of her neck with a frustrated sigh as they stared at the dead man slumped in a pool of crimson. His body was littered with holes.

"Looks like we won't be getting any answers today."


End file.
